Archive for the '2010 Nhl Draft' Tag Under 'Ducks' Category

The Ducks are doing fine in the moment as they're among several teams in the wild, wild Western Conference that are jockeying for playoff position. And it appears that the future could be bright as well.

Spread out among their American Hockey League affiliate in Syracuse, the Canadian major junior ranks and college hockey, some of the club's top prospects are fulfilling their promise or surpassing expectations while others are experiencing some struggles as they adapt to a new level.

But through some solid drafting under General ManagerBob Murray and his current staff, it appears the Ducks are cobbling together some talent that could find its way to the NHL level in the coming years. Already, Cam Fowler and Brandon McMillan have made themselves a fixture on the parent club this season.

At this point of the hockey season, we'll take a look at how the Ducks' best prospects are faring and rank them. Don't worry, this ranking is unscientific and isn't final.

Fowler had a pretty good view of Hall, who tied Boston Bruins center Tyler Seguin for the OHL scoring title with 40 goals and 66 assists in 57 games.

"His top speed is almost like nothing I've seen before," Fowler said. "The first couple of steps he takes off. He's a smart player. He's got a great shot. He's really got a lot going for him. He's also responsible defensively.... he's really the overall package."

It says a lot about a prospect when the head coach of the organization cites your professionalism as one aspect that really stood out in a short period of time.

It says even more that that particular prospect didn't turn 18 until June.

That's certainly a good first impression for Devante Smith-Pelly, who was chosen by the Ducks in the second round, 42nd overall, in June's amateur draft.

Smith-Pelly displayed a scorer's touch with his junior team, Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, but he projects as a physical- agitator type like the player he models his game after - Kings captain Dustin Brown.

That would seem to fill a need with the Ducks, who have looked more toward grittiness in recent seasons after elbowing their way to the 2007 Stanley Cup.

Ducks GM Bob Murray might have had one of the more telling statements during the NHL entry draft last weekend when it was suggested that defenseman Cam Fowler has a skill set and profile comparable to the recently retired Scott Niedermayer.

"I don't want to do that to that kid," Murray said. "They both have won a lot. If you look at Cam, just look at his bio. But don't do that to that poor boy. Scotty Niedermayer is Scotty Niedermayer."

In other words, the true way to judge whether this was a successful draft for the Ducks or any of the other 29 NHL teams is to let a few years pass as those picks develop and pan out or slip quietly into irrelevance.

Top pick Taylor Hall carried a lot of hype and figures to be in the Edmonton Oilers' lineup this fall but there's no guarantee that he'll be a superstar. Fowler and Emerson Etem might one day be draft steals for the Ducks or they can justify why they both fell down the first round.

But it's no fun to wait all that time to judge the winners and losers of the 2010 draft when you can do it right now even it's a flawed exercise. Let's take a look at each.

LOS ANGELES -- It wasn't easy on Cam Fowler or Emerson Etem and the feeling was probably multiplied by members their respective families but the Ducks were downright giddy when those two fell through the NHL entry draft to them.

Fowler, who went 12th to them, was once considered the third-best player behind consensus top-two selections Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin and remained a sure-fire top-five pick by most prognosticators. The opinions on Etem varied more but it was believed that he would go somewhere in the middle of the first round before he was the 29th name announced.

The two are now thinking that they might be among the steals of the draft.

"I'd really like to think so," Fowler said. "I think I've proven myself in the last couple of years that I can step up in big games and make a difference. But like I said, these NHL teams, they drafted before me and they got some great players too.

"What it all comes down to, we're all trying to work and trying to achieve that goal which is ultimately make an NHL team. That's just my main goal right now."

LOS ANGELES -- Devante Smith-Pelly said the biggest problem when he learned how to skate was that he couldn't stop.

Smith-Pelly hasn't stopped every since.

The self-described power forward with the ability to play a sound two-way game was thrilled when the Ducks called his name with their pick in the second round of the NHL entry draft, the 42nd selection overall.

In his second season in the Ontario Hockey League with the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, Smith-Pelly had 29 goals and 33 assists in 60 games and added another eight goals and six assists in 16 playoff contests.

"I wasn't really sure exactly where I was going to go," said Smith-Pelly, who turned 18 on June 14. "I was just kind of coming in and not really expecting to go anywhere and just kind of soaking it all in. To hear my name called was exciting."

LOS ANGELES – Still beaming over having two top-10 rated players fall into his lap in the first round, Ducks general manager Bob Murray was already satisfied with how his club fared in the NHL entry draft regardless of how Saturday's other six rounds went.

The only thing that Murray didn't come away with from Staples Center was some immediate help to plug a blue line full of holes.

Murray was unsuccessful in his attempts to pry veteran Keith Ballard out of Florida but he said it wasn't a certainty that he could get a deal done for an experience puck-moving defenseman at the draft.

“I didn't expect that to happen here,” Murray said. “I think free agency is going to dictate what happens with a lot of people in this league.

“I think teams are trying to re-sign their guys. A lot is going to happen between now and July 1.And July 1 obviously will dictate what's available and what's not available.”